Thanks to my editor! Thanks to any and everyone reading! Do comment, regardless of whether you like my story or not.

~Adare * Our lunch date took place at a quaint cafe I never had the curiosity to enter. I t's run-down exterior was an eyesore in comparison to the newly renovated stores surrounding it. On the inside, shelves were littered with dusty china decorated with flowers. There was faded pastel pink peeling wallpaper revealing the hideo us interior-definitely, an eyesore within too. Everything in this shop seemed miniature, like the tables and the utensils perch ed on them that wrapped in industrial napkins. We both ordered a coffee, but my coffee was definitely decaf. After my recent st reak of nightmares about Trent, I was seeking a good night's sleep. This entire ordeal was overwhelming and exhausting. After this date I really planned on ditc hing him. Across the table, he stared intently at me as he quizzed me about trivial little details about my life. I really wanted to discuss this whole wolf issue but thi s seemed an inappropriate place to do so. So what else is new? Tables were barel y a foot away from each other; others could definitely tune into our conversatio n, even accidentally. "Favorite color?" he asked while I stirred my drink without cause; I did anythin g to keep me from gazing into his eyes. It was his eyes that had led me into a h eated kissing frenzy not long ago. They are just that compelling. "Violet." "Nice." He replied. Was Trent mocking me? I swear if the curve of his lips when he smiled wasn't so damned sexy I would have reached over and stabbed him with m y fork. His shirt wasn't form fitting but it did nothing to hide his muscular bu ild; it wasn't helping my concentration either. "Now ask me something." "You know what I want to know and what we need to be talking about," I seethed, barely audible. When I saw his smile fade, I knew that he had heard me clearly. "This is hardly the place." He sounded calm, but the expression on his face was reading more lik e frustrated. "Then why'd you bring me here?" I retorted a bit too loudly earning several curi ous glances. His voice seemed very controlled. "Last night, you were under the impression tha t I was stalker...some random peeping tom. I'm certain that you wouldn't have be en receptive to be eating where we could be totally alone and away from prying e yes." The last statement just oozed with sarcasm. He continued more softly, "I d on't want you to fear me. I'm not trying to scare you away. Yes, we do have impo rtant things to talk about, but I disagree that they are as significant as getti ng to know you. We will be seeing a lot of each other." How could he be so certain? If I had my way he'd be leaving. Hopefully this magi c pull crap will just go away, and I'll regain a semblance of control over my li

fe. I decided to look up into his eyes, at last. "Because we are mates," he answered me, though I said nothing aloud. "You can read my..." "Mind," he finished. What the hell?! ******* "You can read my..." she began. "Mind," I answered. I wasn't certain, but know I'm sure. Adalia is my mate. I remember Nana's words: It is astoundingly rare that wolves can telepath with a human before mating. It is much more common for wolves to have this ability to communicate with their mates before they are mated. Even then, this phenomenon i s rare. If Adalia was a wolf, she certainly would not be in so much shock. Is it possible that she is unaware of her wolf's presence? Or just a human with an ex traordinary gift? Neither of us spoke for a few of the longest seconds of my life. I wonder if she heard me. "I can hear you, but not very well. It's all so fuzzy, like a T.V. with bad rece ption." The connection is definitely two-way, but what are the odds that a non-s hifter can telepath with me? Is that why her reception is 'fuzzy'? A tear welled out of her eye, and she quickly tried to wipe it away. Nothing cou ld be worse than knowing that I caused this pain. "Let's get out of here," I suggested, while tugging one of her hands away from h er face and into my grip. There was someone we needed to see. ********** "A tear falls, and then shatters over broken glass. It dissolves in a fluid- a v iscous oxidizing red- that is surrounding her head like a halo." Great Mother's resounding voice foretold the path of the current future. "How is any of this information relevant to finding Trent?" asked a disgruntled man, pacing a poorly lit room surrounded by windowless medieval-style stone wall s. "What's a dead woman got to do with anything? Isn't it his mate that he is in search of?" The intimidating elderly women, wearing drapes of colorful fabric, a sloppy side bun, and a multitude of rings answered: "Look: I see the future-which is highly subjective. You give me Trent's hair, and this is what I see. How certain are y ou that this hair is his? If it is, then the dead woman will be present in his f uture. If he changes intentions or actions, I would need a new sample from the t ime after his decisions were made to give a new reading." "Damnit!" The massive man clinched his fists and paced back and forth. The hair he gathered must have been from weeks ago. He wasted so much time before finding this woman who could supposedly forecast the future. After all, psychics were s upposed to be fiction. For the most part, psychic abilities and magic were outsi de the scope of reality for wolves. He honestly didn't think he would become thi s desperate, but Trent stole something important. The candlelight on the women's table illuminated his sleek dark hair orange every time he passed it.

"Don't you play big bad wolf with me, Luriat! You may be alpha, but you're nothi ng without a pack to lead," the women huffed. "Do you want my help or not? Stop pacing the room like a mad man! Given the circumstances, you are fortunate that I am even willing to assist your pack." Luriat knew that this woman owed no loyalty to him or his pack. To Great Mother, the powerful wolves that prowled the forest were merely a pack of dogs in a pla y pen. There was a short pause, as Luriat calmed himself down before kneeling in front of her searching her glossy brown eyes. "I apologize, Great Mother. This entire situation has put me on edge. Can you get a reading on the woman?" "Ha ha! Not unless you are about the hand me a piece of her hair!" she laughed, but Luriat's glare silenced it. "You already know how this works, my dear," she said apologetically. As a non-shifter, she knew better that to infuriate a wolflet alone the alpha. Even if she did not respect the wolves, Great Mother knew that her body was frail and that an angry wolf could easily cease her life. "I c an draw you a picture, and maybe you can ask around to see if your pack members recognize it." She patted the table before pulling out a pen that was well hidde n from view in her hair. "How about that?" Her thin lips lifted up in a smile. ********** "Where are we?" He just smiled, as he continued intently focusing on his driving. "We're almost there." I looked around, instantly aware that the only building present seemed like a ne glected wooden disaster. "That's it?" "Yeah." "But it..." "Looks disserted. I know, but it isn't." Upon arrival, Trent opened the door for me and led me by hand to the front door of the small wooden home. Several vines filled with leaves and thorns had to be pulled over to the side in order for him to knock on the plank door. An ethereal elderly women, with lapis lazuli eyes that had the same compelling property as Trent's opened the door with her arms ready to hug. "Trent! Good to see you! Hur ry in! People mustn't think this place is lived in. It was risky bringing the gi rl with you, you know?" "I know," he smiled, after their embrace. The woman quickly hugged me, as well w ith a strength that surprised me. Then she stepped back and did slow once over w ith her eyes. "Hmmmm..." Trent looked worried by the woman's facial expression. "What is it?" I wonder if this should worry me. "I can't read her aura. Is she human? Or wolf?" "I'm Adalia," I interrupted. The thing that grates on my nerves the most is when people have conversations about you as if you're not there. Older relatives at family cookouts seemed to have made a habit of it. Now it was happening here, an d I was not going to put up with it!

"Where are my manners, child? Forgive me. Call me Nana. Everyone else does. Care for some tea and cookies?" Before I could respond, Nana had vacated her current position into a door that w as right behind her. Inside this place, there were smooth wooden walls and doors and a space that was three times larger than what it appeared outside. What mag ic is this? Trent, who was studying me intently the whole time, answered "Nana's one of our pack elders, but she has legendary powers and has earned great honor. I came her e because she can better explain everything. "Follow me," she said, after returning with a cookie sheet with a plate of cooki es, a small teapot, and tiny cups. We were led into another room that was just wide enough for you to reach both ar ms out before touching the wall. There was a lime green coffee table that matche d the wallpaper that had been put up one wall. Other furnishings, made the room look more like a magazine ad than something that people lived in. Once seated, the Nana commanded that both me and Trent take one cookie each and to take a sip of tea. The tea had already been poured into the cups that sat bef ore us on the coffee table. Trent did as commanded. I knew that he obviously trusted the woman with his life , so I did as well. The tea was unsweetened, which explained his grimace after t he first sip. "Tea is good for you." Nana explained, moving her arms into odd gestures as she spoke. "It has lemon, which I was hoping would strengthen you aura. It did nothi ng. Now bite the cookie you are both holding." The cookie appeared to be oatmeal raisin, but the taste was wildly different. It tasted tart, instead of sweet. "What type of..." "It's a special blend, my dear! If you two are mates, you'll start to feel the e ffects within hours. If you two aren't mates, than nothing will happen. After al l, you can't strengthen something that is non-existent." Suddenly, I felt nausea in the pit of my stomach. *************